With all of the media coverage focusing on scammers posing as IRS agents by phone, it may be tempting to let your guard down and assume that the scammers are on the run. They are not. They are still making the rounds, trying to trick taxpayers into giving up personal information or sending payments. That means not only bogus calls but also letters and emails.
I received this email today:
The email states:
Good morning,
Thank you for your request for IRS Support Center. Your Tax Return for $6,775.00 has been placed.
Here is your Tax Report.
Available only for computers, not smartphones view.
The IRS is committed to protecting the privacy rights of America’s taxpayers. These rights are protected by the Internal Revenue Code, the Privacy Act of 1974, the Freedom of Information Act, and IRS policies and practices. Visit the IRS Electronic Freedom of Information Act Reading Room for more information about these laws.
A quick read of the email results in a number of red flags:
- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) doesn’t send personal tax information via email;
- The IRS won’t issue a “Tax Report” by mail or email;
- There are multiple problems with grammar and language in the email (for example, you don’t “place” a tax return with IRS nor do you request “for” IRS Support Center); and
- There is no “IRS Support Center.”
(Don’t even get me started on the likelihood that I’d receive a tax refund for nearly $7000…)
The email purports to come from an irs.gov email address but a check on the header shows that the email is actually from another domain which is no longer available.
The email is a bogus attempt to get you to click on the link in the email. The link leads to a separate, non-IRS related domain, likely tied to some kind of spyware, malware or another attempt to obtain your personal information.
Another email scam is also circulating, involving a fake IRS tax bill related to the Affordable Care Act. In that email, scammers request that taxpayers send a check to a P.O. Box to pay a (nonexistent) tax obligation.
Don’t be fooled. If you get an email purporting to be from the IRS asking you to visit a website or answer personal questions, do not reply and do not click on any links in the email. Remember that the IRS has previously confirmed they will not:
- Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you several bills.
- Call or email you to verify your identity by asking for personal and financial information.
- Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone or email.
Keep your personal information safe by remaining on alert. For tips on protecting yourself from identity theft-related tax fraud, click here.
